That petition
I'm not entirely sure how I feel about the petition that most of the outdoor bloggers seem so preoccupied with at the moment.
Sure, I understand that it would be nice to be able to wildcamp 'legally', so I have put my name to it, but...
- I have never been arrested
- I doubt if any other wildcamping backpackers have either (0% research done here)
- 'If it ain't broke'...
- If you own land, why the hell should you let people camp on it?
- Now the whole world will know that people like us do actually wildcamp. The scallies will hit the hills in their droves to rob us of our ridiculously expensive titanium cooking gear and down puffa jackets at knife point to buy crack and bass tubes. Ignorance was bliss.
I promise I'll never mention this again.
Anyway, look at these cool sandals from Reef with a bottle opener built into the sole [from The Goat].
posted by Chris Cowell @ 9:25 AM
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7 Comments:
I have worked in public policy for over twenty years and I couldn't agree more. I worry that people have become too obsessed with pinning down their "rights". They fail to see that what is unwritten, what happens by consent rather than by express permission, is often wider ranging and more flexible. In other words, one should be careful about clarity, because it may become clear you cann no longer do what you have "always" done...
And that was a very cool sandal...
Thank you for that Springheel - that is exactly the sentiments I wanted to express but couldn't quite manage it!
We may get accused of putting our heads in the sand, hoping the problem will just go away, but as far as I can see, there isn't really a problem in the first place. 'Rights' for 'rights' sake doesn't do it for me.
Chris
Unless I misread it, the Countryside and Rights of Way Act actively banned camping from access land. Did any hikers object to that then, I wonder?
Hey ho, each to their own.
Obviously some folk pick up on the stories of helicopters spotting campers, and police by the Pennine Way (IIRC Alan Sloman's posting).
It would be nice if landowners like took the approach that Dartmoor does, and maybe something like that will come out of it. The outdoor magazines seemed quite happy for the status quo to continue, or did I miss their active campaigning for more Dartmoor-esque access?
And if nothing happens, well, at least people have tried to make a difference to their interest.
Chris - maybe you want to find someone who was going to sign it, and 'swap' out your name by asking them not to sign. I can't remember what the politicians call this bartering system.
Chris, I also assume that you are against the Welsh petition that is going on as well at the moment then for the same reasons. And supportive of those land owners that want to block access to paths going across their land. For the same reason "why the hell should the landowner allow it?"
But as I point out elsewhere these same landowners are keen to take our money in the form of EU and government grants. So maybe that is why they should allow it.
You may not have a problem Chris, but we have one in the New Forest. Also isn't Dartmoor the model we should all be looking to? It works there.
Darren - do I assume from your comment that you are against freedom of speach?
No, of course not.
Part of the issue is the thoughts that Chris has listed. Many people have not been moved on because they have wild camped responsibly, and on land where it is tolerated.
But times are changing. The Lakes have lochans that have been badly polluted. There has been anecdotes of wild campers being photographed from police helicopters during unusually dry spells, presumably in case they started a fire. With global warming, we may get more of that. The times, as someone sung, they are a-changing.
Better to get these justifiable and honest fears and concerns about the uncertain future out in the open.
Perhaps some form of round-table chatroom discussion could be organised, and then blogged?
Chris- just spotted the vote. Hopefully the arguments on the limits with the current phase have set some of your concerns to rest for the present
Thanks
I have posted my reply on Darren's Blog entry - 'Some Ramblings'. That seemed the right place for it.
Thank you all for your comments, it's good to see passion.
Chris
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